These kitchens don’t gleam with granite countertops because they weren’t showplaces. They were workspaces, essential for the life of a home, an estate, a life-saving station, even a battleship. From the Whalehead Club in Corolla to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial house in Asheville, these kitchens represent a portrait of life in North Carolina when function was fundamental.
Photographer Emily Chaplin found herself stepping back in time while documenting historic kitchens across the state. Click on the links below to plan your own visit.
Dr. Josephus Hall House (Salisbury)
President James K. Polk State Historic Site (Pineville)
Thomas Wolfe Memorial (Asheville)
Gov. Zebulon Vance Birthplace State Historic Site (Weaverville)
Carl Sandburg Home (Flat Rock)
Bandon Kitchen – Iredell House (Edenton)
USS North Carolina (Wilmington)
Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station (Rodanthe)
John Wheeler House (Murfreesboro)
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Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
